The horrific attacks in Germany all have one thing in common
The reality is that Germany has suffered a series of attacks which are equally worrying but which apparently have little in common. While more information will no doubt come out in the coming days, the causes of each case could so far be summed up as follows:
Psychological instability mixed with neo-Nazi inspirations.
Inspiration from Daesh.
A record of violent behaviour.
Suicidal tendencies with a link to Daesh.
One factor in common, however, is that the attackers were all people who almost certainly felt marginalised within German society. Those responsible for the events in Ansbach, Reutlingen and Würzburg, meanwhile, also had an extra element in common – that they’d all previously lived in countries with recent histories of extremely violent conflict. But all four people had very real psychological issues, whether these were related to marginalisation or the horrors of war.
Whenever there’s injustice, marginalisation, and/or indoctrination, there’s also desperation, anger, hatred, and/or mental torment. And violence is just one consequence of these feelings – whether it manifests itself as neo-Nazi attacks, Daesh-inspired attacks, or any other kind of attack.
If Germany is to avoid another week like the one it’s just had, one action it can and must take is to pay much more attention to the psychological needs of the most vulnerable people in its society – no matter where they were born.
Consider: Ukraine and Greece .. Iraq, Libya and Syria … Bolivia, Venezuela and a string of other nations whose policies displeased Washington and Wall Street. Great overarching narratives on the governance of these nations are built – prior to interventions overt or covert – on the back of dodgy evidence. By weight of repetition, and through the sober intonations of politicians and ‘impartial experts’, these narratives acquire the status of unassailable truth. I’ve heard experienced academics – men and women who routinely and rightly take their students to task for failing to substantiate assertions in their essays – trot out such unconsciously pro-imperialist views without a shred of evidence. I’ve had a seasoned and courageous leftwing activist tell me, when challenged to back up a claim that Assad is every bit as bad as ISIS, that she’d see if she could “dig something up” – then lose her temper when I said that smacked of looking for evidence to prop up an a priori conclusion. (Other than a link to Al Jazeera, its own source that splendid chap at Syrian Observatory, I’ve yet to hear back.) And I’ve had a Jewish friend tell me the dirt on Assad “can’t all be made up”. Lesser chaps than I might fall into the slough of despond when such as he – kinsman to folk who do know a thing or two about industrial scale smear – talk like this.
in every instance where the west has put its military and financial weight behind unseating an alleged tyrant in the middle east the results have been: murderous chaos … privatisation … the destruction of welfare provision … fat profits not only for arms suppliers but Big Capital in general, aided by opportunist politicians – check Haliburton-Cheney, Clinton-ExxonMobil. In sum, those with most to gain by removing the ‘tyrant’ just happen to be those controlling the narrative on his tyranny. That doesn’t automatically invalidate the narrative but should make us suspicious. So why doesn’t it? Why do so many on the left and centre-left repeat and relay that narrative without troubling to do a bit of independent appraisal of the evidence? And, yes, I do know that some folk have jobs, kids and busy lives. Not everyone can sink hour on hour into investigating every single claim by billionaire media but what we can all do is make room for old fashioned scepticism and that perennially useful question, cui bono?
This opinion piece doesn’t absolve Assad. Nor does saying he’s not as bad as the rest add any justification for the atrocities that this war has led to, and that his regime has undoubtedly contributed to.
Assad was asked to step down in 2011 by many world leaders shocked by him ordering military strikes that killed thousands of civilian protesters in cities around the country so he could snuff out the popular uprising. Remember Homs?
China and Russia, voted against the UN resolution in 2012 that was led by Morocco requesting Assad step down to enable peaceful democratic transition. These two powers had a clear self interest to block this – and knew that the end game in doing so would be civil war.
I am definitely not defending the Western powers involvement in all this, but it is absolutely reasonable to assume that had Assad stood down in 2012 all of this bloodshed and destruction might have been avoided.
Any argument that Assad decided to stay on in power in order to stop Syria becoming a puppet state of the West is negated by the fact that it was already a puppet state of Russia and Assad had demonstrated he was quite willing to bomb civilians in order to retain pesonal power.
The reality now, irrespective of the arguments surrounding the causes of the civil war, is that there are multiple Syrian factions (including Assad) waging a horrific war against one another, while other nations – none of whom have clean hands – provide money, weaponry and direct military support
The tragedy of 5 years of war is evident to the world….. miilions of people displaced, families irreparably harmed, hundreds of thousands slaughtered – and mindless, amoral, unceasing bombing and destruction of their homes…. these pictures are too moving to describe: http://www.boredpanda.com/before-after-war-photos-aleppo-syria/
Any argument that Assad decided to stay on in power in order to stop Syria becoming a puppet state of the West is negated by the fact that it was already a puppet state of Russia and Assad had demonstrated he was quite willing to bomb civilians in order to retain pesonal power.
Sorry mate, but NATO member Turkey, as well as France and the USA, have also been quite willing to bomb civilians in order to get their own political way in Syria.
The west has ratcheted up pressure and sanctions on Assad for years in the hope that his country would spiral out of control and Israel + Saudi Arabia would win.
A climate crisis (worst drought in 1200 years) provided the background of social instability that the western regime change programme could exploit.
And exploit they did, by infiltrating thousands if jihadist terrorists, weapons and money into Syria in an illegal attempt to destroy the legal government of a foreign country.
Bottom line is that had the west had its way, and Russia not defended their long time ally, the black flag of ISIS would now be flying over Damascus, and millions of women would now be living under Sharia law, and members of all ethnic and religious miniorities enslaved or beheaded.
TL/DR the west needs to stop trying to get rid of secular heads of state in the ME and replacing them with head chopping, pilot burning, Christian slaying, Kurd killing Islamic fundamentalists.
I find it incredibly depressing that an increasing number of decent and I assume civilised people think it’s okay to go to extremes and take anything they don’t agree with as a means of justifying or excusing their ‘less evil’ version of a monster – not that your argument goes this far CV
but frankly I find it absolutely terrifying that there is so much burgeoning emotionally driven support for out and out fascists
what was it that John Stewart said.. something along the lines that ‘it’s fine to provide gymnastic arguments to support my lying, racist, despot – so long as he gets into power’
I don’t even know what this means in this context. The US/Turkey/Qatar/Saudi Arabia decided to try and replace Assad with ISIS. That wasn’t for the good of the Syrian people mind you, or protecting protestors, or democracy or whatever other BS PR they put out. That was for their own geopolitical rationales.
The only reason the black flag of ISIS is not over Damascus right now is because the Russians had enough of the west and their mates sponsoring Islamic terrorism in the Middle East.
Was Assad wrong to shoot hundreds of protestors? Yes. Was the west wrong in using that to justify a regime change effort by Islamist proxies which has now killed 400,000 Syrians. Yes.
Assad is more than guilty of murdering ‘hundreds’ – it was thousands of unarmed Syrians he murdered in the civil protests during 2011 –
And Assad’s regime – amply supported by Russia and its allies – has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians during the 5 years since
framing the massive number of people killed as “regime change effort” suggests blame for the shelling and bombing of cities, and monstrous war crimes inflicted on civilians for the past 5 years is all on the shoulders of the Islamists and those behid the ‘regime change effort’ – and that this destruction is somehow not also the result of Assad (with Russia’s support) fighting a war to retain absolute power and in Russia’s case to control access to a strategic port
it still holds that if the Russians and Chinese had backed the UN resolution to get Assad to step down in 2012 this war might have been prevented, and if there had been a UN managed transition of power four years ago a humane democratic Syrian leader may have emerged to establish a stronger more unified force against ISIS…
but this is all ifs
your framing that the black flag of ISIS isn’t over Damascus because of the Russians suggests that you think they are saviours – and that you don’t believe they have equally sponsored terrorism in the Middle East
let’s not kid ourselves, the great powers will continue to play dirty games in the dire politics of this region probably for hundreds of years to come… which is why it is imperative to expose them wherever we can, and hold them to account rather than picking sides or excusing dictatorial regimes
let’s hope to heck that for at least a short while Russia and the US can work together once this war ends to help Syria rebuild, recover and establish democratic institutions – much as they did for Germany and Japan after WW2
Shock claim that US commander masterminded Turkey failed coup leads to torching of NATO base vicinity
The situation in Turkey is now at the hysterical stage. Last night an area close to a US-NATO base in Turkey was set alight. Sabotage is suspected, though no one has claimed responsibility.
However, it is likely the fire was begun as a direct result of claims in a pro-Government paper, Yeni Safak, that US commander John F Campbell (retired) was the architect of the coup attempt. If this allegation turns out to be true there will be major repercussions with regard to Turkey’s role in NATO and the entire Midle East region will be affected. If they turn out to be false, given that the paper is a mouthpiece of President Erdogan, US-Turkey relation will be seriously harmed.
That would be the “fake” coup that allowed Erdogan to massacre those on the list (kept so close it could be used within hours) of people who opposed the government.
Now they have taken treasonous school children captive.
Best explanation is that it was a real coup, but Erdogan got several hours notice (information from Russian intelligence), and let it happen after taking steps to ensure that it would fail.
The coup plotters had to push their launch forward by several hours and only had a fraction of the forces they thought that they would have.
Democrats in the United States have been scrambling to contain damaging revelations of an insider effort to hobble Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, with the party boss abruptly announcing her resignation on the eve of the convention to officially nominate Hillary Clinton.
I am disappointed that Bernie has fallen in behind Hilary. They must have something over him for him to have capitulated like that. Should be an interesting convention!
+100 Garibaldi…why did Bernie fall in behind Clinton?…is he a phony?…he certainly doesn’t have the fight that Corbyn has …or courage of his convictions…and nor does Elisabeth Warren imo
I have been told that candidates sign an agreement from the outset that they will support whoever is ultimately selected, and I don’t think Bernie is the type to break such an agreement. His stated aim is to change politics, and I think he will from now on concentrate on getting like-minded people into congress.
Interesting parallels with UK Labour. Claims in the Daily Telegraph that Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicol, tried to stitch things up to keep Corbyn off ballot …
… McNicol as the UK’s answer to Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters have accused the head of the Labour Party of “subverting” internal rules and keeping legal advice “hidden” to effectively block him running for the leadership, legal papers have revealed.
In documents seen by The Telegraph, Mr Corbyn’s backers claim Iain McNicol, Labour’s general secretary, went to “great lengths” to keep secret a crucial party board meeting about his future.
They also accuse Mr McNicol of trying to “manufacture a situation whereby Jeremy Corbyn’s name will be omitted from the leadership ballot” despite being bound to remain impartial during the contest.
“There is no greater crime being perpetuated on future generations than that committed by those who deny climate change. The scientific consensus is so overwhelming that to argue against it is to perpetuate a dangerous fraud. Denial has become a yardstick by which intelligence can be tested. The term climate sceptic is now interchangeable with the term mindless fool.”
Indeed. In opposing taking real meaningful government actions to combat climate change, claiming climate change does not exist, does not cut it anymore.
Those who oppose taking real meaningful action to combat climate change take a much more subtle approach these days.
Taking a position and verbalising it is not a crime, and never should be
Yes, it often is and should be.
“Taking a position and verbalising it” can describe fraud, incitement to violence, incitement to riot, conspiracy, obtaining credit by deception, blackmail, reckless endangerment, negligence, perjury, and a variety of other criminal offences.
Actually, if I’m at all familiar with the research into climate change and I advise someone that, for example, they’ll be fine if they build an expensive home on beachfront property with the intention of selling it in twenty or fify years time, then I could well be charged with “causing loss by deception” under section240 of the Crimes Act 1961.
A serious lapse of judgement by wikileaks dumping millions of private emails and personal information about all women voters in Turkey has potentially put thousands in extreme danger:
We are talking about millions of women whose private, personal information has been dumped into the world, with nary an outcry. Their addresses are out there for every stalker, ex-partner, disapproving relative or random crazy to peruse as they wish. And let’s remember that, every year in Turkey, hundreds of women are murdered, most often by current or ex-husbands or boyfriends, and thousands of women leave their homes or go into hiding, seeking safety.
great of the piece’s author to draw such huge publicity to the existence and location of these databases, as well as carefully describing their contents, for the sake of her own career. She even says that other news outlets did not really examine the leaked info in the detail she did, and missed presenting these facts.
Now she’s let all the non IT savvy stalkers in the world know.
Highly educated and highly stupid all at the same time.
First of the 60 UK Labour frontbenchers who resigned en masse … asks to return.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, is to rejoin the shadow cabinet less than a month after her dramatic resignation. On 28 June, in the aftermath of Brexit, she tweeted: “I have just stepped down from my shadow minister job, but not my responsibilities to my constituents, party or victims of abuse.”
Champion now formally retracts her resignation and asks Corbyn to be reinstated as Shadow Home Office Minister. Welcomed back with open arms. Expected to be first of many returnees, now that the writing’s on the wall.
As Left-Wing Activist / Corbyn-supporter, Aaaron Bastani tweeted:
Champion, like much of party, was persuaded by arguments generated by instigators of coup: that Boris would be PM & call immediate election … Consciously created, exploited, dynamic of urgency. Many excellent MPs made decisions I think they now regret. Am told all welcome to return
Donald Trump comes out of his convention ahead of Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House, topping her 44% to 39% in a four-way matchup including Gary Johnson (9%) and Jill Stein (3%) and by three points in a two-way head-to-head, 48% to 45%. That latter finding represents a 6-point convention bounce for Trump … There hasn’t been a significant post-convention bounce in CNN’s polling since 2000 …
… The new findings mark Trump’s best showing in a CNN/ORC Poll against Clinton since September 2015. Trump’s new edge rests largely on increased support among independents … Pre-convention, independents split 34% Clinton to 31% Trump, with sizable numbers behind Johnson (22%) and Stein (10%). Now, 46% say they back Trump, 28% Clinton, 15% Johnson and 4% Stein …
… Beyond boosting his overall support, Trump’s favorability rating is also on the rise (46% of registered voters say they have a positive view, up from 39% pre-convention), while his advantage over Clinton on handling top issues climbs. He now holds double-digit margins over Clinton as more trusted on the economy and terrorism … (and has) … cut into Clinton’s edge on managing foreign policy (50% said they trusted her more, down from 57% pre-convention).
The convention also helped Trump make strides in his personal image. A majority (52%) now say Trump is running for president for the good of the country rather than personal gain, just 44% say the same about Clinton. He’s increased the share who call him honest and trustworthy (from 38% to 43%), and who would be proud to have him as president (from 32% to 39%). And nearly half now say he’s in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face in their daily lives (46% say so, 37% did before the convention) …
… Clinton’s ratings on these same measures took a hit, though in most cases her drop-off was not quite as large as Trump’s gain. Perhaps most troubling for the Clinton supporters gathering in Philadelphia this week: 68% now say Clinton is not honest and trustworthy, her worst rating on that measure in CNN/ORC polling.
CNN/ORC Trump 48, Clinton 45 ……………………………………………… Trump +3 CBS News Trump 44, Clinton 43 ……………………………………………… Trump +1 Economist/YouGov Trump 42, Clinton 47 ………………………………. Clinton +5 LA Times/USC Trump 45, Clinton 41 ……………………………………….. Trump +4 CNN/ORC Clinton 39, Trump 44, Johnson 9, Stein 3 ………………… Trump +5 Economist/YouGov Clinton 40, Trump 38, Johnson 5, Stein 3 …. Clinton +2 CBS News Clinton 39, Trump 40, Johnson 12 …………………………… Trump +1
Video of departing Democratic Party chair person Debbie Wasserman Schultz being booed down at a breakfast meeting of Florida’s Democratic convention voting delegates.
Wasserman Schultz had to be escorted out of her own party’s breakfast event by security.
I am not sure how reliable this is, but the claim is that Sanders will be “placed in nomination” at the DNC. I take it that such a move would be intended to show the strength of Bernie’s support base, thus weakening Hillary’s ability to get away with making only minor policy concessions. http://usuncut.com/politics/bernie-speech-hot-mic-nomination/
Hi Anne. There’s no way that I can be clearer than I have been that I think Trump would be a far better POTUS for NZ than Hillary Clinton.
Less likely to go to guns against China and Russia in the Pacific. Will put the TPP into the shredder by lunch time. Won’t ask NZ troops to take part in “coalition” wars of regime change.
Suggests just over half of Sanders supporters who voted in the Democratic Primaries will support Clinton come Election Day. Just 5% say they will back Trump, but almost 40% are intending to back one of the minor candidates – Stein slightly ahead of Johnson.
Poll probably conducted immediately prior to Debbie Wasserman Schultz revelations, though. May cut into that Clinton support.
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem Primaries Favourability towards Clinton
Unfavourable … 58%
Favourable ……. 42%
(They’re overwhelmingly unfavourable to Trump and are more favourable to the Greens’ Jill Stein than other partisans. Will their antagonism towards Trump ultimately triumph over their anger at Clinton and see them holding their collective noses to tick Hillary ? Or have the latest revelations changed everything ?)
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem primaries Feelings about Clinton as Dem Candidate
Enthusiastic ………………………………………… 8%
Satisfied but not Enthusiastic ……………… 29%
Dissatisfied but not Upset …………………… 34%
Upset ………………………………………………….. 29%
Not sure if you were the one put up a link to this…but I read that Bernie’s supporters may vote Clinton…but they are now for the most part passive voters.
They aren’t going to campaign for Clinton, they aren’t going to push their friends and family to turn out on the day for Clinton, they might not even make it to a polling booth on the day if they get busy.
Donald Trump is riding high in the polls, surging past Hillary Clinton to leads in all six of the latest national polls released since Saturday.
That’s good news for Trump. Some wondered if the Republican National Convention last week might not give the Republican nominee the post-convention polling bump most presidential candidates get — but it’s looking like it did.
The liberal media piece then spends several hundred words reassuring lefties why this isn’t really a big problem for Clinton and why 6 polls are just rogues.
A fascinating read in intellectual self-deception.
Did anybody hear Merepeka Raukawa-Tait on TVNZ’s Breakfast 7.15 this morning. My God did she sock it to the Government about the moribund CYFS Department and the ineffective treatment of our young children. She basically said that if the Department cannot deliver and do their job it should be disbanded and allow others who can have “access to the front doors” of these vulnerable children, to do the job. It was in answer to the Government’s idea to have the police pay informants who witness abuse. The lady said it was a shocking indictment that they have to go as low as pay informants when they should be tackling the root of the problem – which of course we all know.
What a hopeless Government we have. This lady was eloquent, to the point and didn’t waffle, and is wasted wherever she is and should be elevated to a role where she can really deliver on what she wants to see happen to these children. She is what our pollies should be, passionate and bloody determined that our littlies and older children should not have to put up with the shit that is happening in their lives. God bless her and I hope she is cherry picked for Government – not that I think such a great lady would want to soil her life by association with Government and the people in it. All power to her.
Putin is hardly a red under the bed, he’s one of the finest examples of the 0.001% using whatever means available to screw over everybody else for his own benefit. A perfect fit with Trump.
Let’s assume for a minute your US conspiracy theory is true, what if like dropping an attomic Bombs was an excuse to put an end to the war & that say if Russia did the hack then the ends justified the means – a bloodless move to avoid WWIII?, Hillary is not the Victim, she used her unsecured personal email server for her corrupt private deeds & for sharing classified information on a vunrable server, a 12yr old could have used A malware bomb that then sends a copy in her name to bypass DNC & Govt emailservers (bypassing security in place), sure she’s a digital native who compromised National Security but is innocent & snowden leaked classified info yet is the traitor? – did I get that right?
From zerohedge.
“Hillary Clinton is implicitly running on only two themes…..
1) Trump is scary. I am not Trump.
2)Things aren’t really bad. I’ll continue along the path we’ve been on.”
If this is true then she will lose the election because a large majority think the country is headed in the wrong direction. She should have chosen Bernie !
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Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
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This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
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Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
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This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
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The horrific attacks in Germany all have one thing in common
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/07/25/horrific-attacks-germany-one-thing-common/
Assad the tyrant?
https://off-guardian.org/2016/07/25/assad-the-tyrant/#comments
Excellent post – especially the link. I recommend everyone read it.
This opinion piece doesn’t absolve Assad. Nor does saying he’s not as bad as the rest add any justification for the atrocities that this war has led to, and that his regime has undoubtedly contributed to.
Assad was asked to step down in 2011 by many world leaders shocked by him ordering military strikes that killed thousands of civilian protesters in cities around the country so he could snuff out the popular uprising. Remember Homs?
China and Russia, voted against the UN resolution in 2012 that was led by Morocco requesting Assad step down to enable peaceful democratic transition. These two powers had a clear self interest to block this – and knew that the end game in doing so would be civil war.
I am definitely not defending the Western powers involvement in all this, but it is absolutely reasonable to assume that had Assad stood down in 2012 all of this bloodshed and destruction might have been avoided.
Any argument that Assad decided to stay on in power in order to stop Syria becoming a puppet state of the West is negated by the fact that it was already a puppet state of Russia and Assad had demonstrated he was quite willing to bomb civilians in order to retain pesonal power.
The reality now, irrespective of the arguments surrounding the causes of the civil war, is that there are multiple Syrian factions (including Assad) waging a horrific war against one another, while other nations – none of whom have clean hands – provide money, weaponry and direct military support
The tragedy of 5 years of war is evident to the world….. miilions of people displaced, families irreparably harmed, hundreds of thousands slaughtered – and mindless, amoral, unceasing bombing and destruction of their homes…. these pictures are too moving to describe:
http://www.boredpanda.com/before-after-war-photos-aleppo-syria/
Sorry mate, but NATO member Turkey, as well as France and the USA, have also been quite willing to bomb civilians in order to get their own political way in Syria.
The west has ratcheted up pressure and sanctions on Assad for years in the hope that his country would spiral out of control and Israel + Saudi Arabia would win.
A climate crisis (worst drought in 1200 years) provided the background of social instability that the western regime change programme could exploit.
And exploit they did, by infiltrating thousands if jihadist terrorists, weapons and money into Syria in an illegal attempt to destroy the legal government of a foreign country.
Bottom line is that had the west had its way, and Russia not defended their long time ally, the black flag of ISIS would now be flying over Damascus, and millions of women would now be living under Sharia law, and members of all ethnic and religious miniorities enslaved or beheaded.
TL/DR the west needs to stop trying to get rid of secular heads of state in the ME and replacing them with head chopping, pilot burning, Christian slaying, Kurd killing Islamic fundamentalists.
so two wrongs make a right CV…
I find it incredibly depressing that an increasing number of decent and I assume civilised people think it’s okay to go to extremes and take anything they don’t agree with as a means of justifying or excusing their ‘less evil’ version of a monster – not that your argument goes this far CV
but frankly I find it absolutely terrifying that there is so much burgeoning emotionally driven support for out and out fascists
what was it that John Stewart said.. something along the lines that ‘it’s fine to provide gymnastic arguments to support my lying, racist, despot – so long as he gets into power’
I don’t even know what this means in this context. The US/Turkey/Qatar/Saudi Arabia decided to try and replace Assad with ISIS. That wasn’t for the good of the Syrian people mind you, or protecting protestors, or democracy or whatever other BS PR they put out. That was for their own geopolitical rationales.
The only reason the black flag of ISIS is not over Damascus right now is because the Russians had enough of the west and their mates sponsoring Islamic terrorism in the Middle East.
Was Assad wrong to shoot hundreds of protestors? Yes. Was the west wrong in using that to justify a regime change effort by Islamist proxies which has now killed 400,000 Syrians. Yes.
Assad is more than guilty of murdering ‘hundreds’ – it was thousands of unarmed Syrians he murdered in the civil protests during 2011 –
And Assad’s regime – amply supported by Russia and its allies – has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians during the 5 years since
framing the massive number of people killed as “regime change effort” suggests blame for the shelling and bombing of cities, and monstrous war crimes inflicted on civilians for the past 5 years is all on the shoulders of the Islamists and those behid the ‘regime change effort’ – and that this destruction is somehow not also the result of Assad (with Russia’s support) fighting a war to retain absolute power and in Russia’s case to control access to a strategic port
it still holds that if the Russians and Chinese had backed the UN resolution to get Assad to step down in 2012 this war might have been prevented, and if there had been a UN managed transition of power four years ago a humane democratic Syrian leader may have emerged to establish a stronger more unified force against ISIS…
but this is all ifs
your framing that the black flag of ISIS isn’t over Damascus because of the Russians suggests that you think they are saviours – and that you don’t believe they have equally sponsored terrorism in the Middle East
let’s not kid ourselves, the great powers will continue to play dirty games in the dire politics of this region probably for hundreds of years to come… which is why it is imperative to expose them wherever we can, and hold them to account rather than picking sides or excusing dictatorial regimes
let’s hope to heck that for at least a short while Russia and the US can work together once this war ends to help Syria rebuild, recover and establish democratic institutions – much as they did for Germany and Japan after WW2
Didn’t Assad use chemical weapons on civilian areas in Damascus? Seems pretty valid to have a bad opinion on him.
Pfffft.
No he didn’t.
The chemical signatures of those weapons did not match those from Assad’s armoury.
Basically, anti-Assad forces produced and used those chemical weapons as a false flag and almost got away with it.
Russia presented the chemical analysis to Obama, and that is why Obama did not trigger his “red line” against Assad.
Russia brokered the deal where Assad handed over all his chemical weapon stockpiles which were then destroyed.
+100 Paul …yes very good thought provoking article
Shock claim that US commander masterminded Turkey failed coup leads to torching of NATO base vicinity
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/07/25/us-commander-accused-masterminding-turkey-coup-leads-torching-nato-base-vicinity/
That would be the “fake” coup that allowed Erdogan to massacre those on the list (kept so close it could be used within hours) of people who opposed the government.
Now they have taken treasonous school children captive.
Best explanation is that it was a real coup, but Erdogan got several hours notice (information from Russian intelligence), and let it happen after taking steps to ensure that it would fail.
The coup plotters had to push their launch forward by several hours and only had a fraction of the forces they thought that they would have.
Email leak rocks Democrats
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11681153
The democrats caught out being most undemocratic toward one of their own.
Thing is they are mostly all owned by unseen corporate masters.
They are trying to blame the email leak on Putin lol
Now Snowden has chimed in: he says the NSA can use XKEYSCORE to definitively assess who did leak the emails.
Guccifer 2.0 claims responsibility. He is Romanian and no doubt offended the Democrats are spinning this into a Russian conspiracy.
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/dnc-hacker-guccifer-20-interview
I’d avoid pissing off hackers Romanian or otherwise if I were them.
Which would account for the reference to two hacking groups with links to Moscow. Don’t forget to denounce that as establishment propaganda.
Uh what?
The NSA’s XKEYSCORE programme can definitively reveal where the email leaks came from.
There doesn’t need to be any mystery or misinformation here.
I am disappointed that Bernie has fallen in behind Hilary. They must have something over him for him to have capitulated like that. Should be an interesting convention!
Yeah, it’s called Trump!.
+100 Garibaldi…why did Bernie fall in behind Clinton?…is he a phony?…he certainly doesn’t have the fight that Corbyn has …or courage of his convictions…and nor does Elisabeth Warren imo
I have been told that candidates sign an agreement from the outset that they will support whoever is ultimately selected, and I don’t think Bernie is the type to break such an agreement. His stated aim is to change politics, and I think he will from now on concentrate on getting like-minded people into congress.
Interesting parallels with UK Labour. Claims in the Daily Telegraph that Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicol, tried to stitch things up to keep Corbyn off ballot …
… McNicol as the UK’s answer to Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/25/labour-leadership-contest-legal-documents-reveal-depth-of-split/?x
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11681154
“There is no greater crime being perpetuated on future generations than that committed by those who deny climate change. The scientific consensus is so overwhelming that to argue against it is to perpetuate a dangerous fraud. Denial has become a yardstick by which intelligence can be tested. The term climate sceptic is now interchangeable with the term mindless fool.”
Telling it like it is
Indeed. In opposing taking real meaningful government actions to combat climate change, claiming climate change does not exist, does not cut it anymore.
Those who oppose taking real meaningful action to combat climate change take a much more subtle approach these days.
how about the people who deny that 2 deg C warming is a done deal. Aren’t they lying to the public about climate change as well?
Yes trump is a liar.
yeah in that case he’s lying, but on the points CV agrees with Trump is telling the truth…
In answer to your query CV I would say;
Miracles we can do now*
The impossible takes a little longer.
*[If we choose to.]
Taking a position and verbalising it is not a crime, and never should be
The wording and logic is wrong
Think it through
Yes, it often is and should be.
“Taking a position and verbalising it” can describe fraud, incitement to violence, incitement to riot, conspiracy, obtaining credit by deception, blackmail, reckless endangerment, negligence, perjury, and a variety of other criminal offences.
“There is no greater crime being perpetuated on future generations than that committed by those who deny climate change”
Denial is not a crime!
Officer: you know who murdered that child
Offender [lying]: no I do not
That denial is a crime.
Insurance company: do you have a history of heart disease?
Offender [lying]: no I do not
That denial is a crime.
employee: have you used that coffee cup to hold cyanide?
Offender [lying]: no I have not
That denial is a crime.
You can’t seriously be that big of a dolt…can you?
The context, is so called climate change denial, which is not a crime
No matter who claims it to be!
Actually, if I’m at all familiar with the research into climate change and I advise someone that, for example, they’ll be fine if they build an expensive home on beachfront property with the intention of selling it in twenty or fify years time, then I could well be charged with “causing loss by deception” under section240 of the Crimes Act 1961.
You genuinely are operating at a low frequency which explains your interpretations of ‘ actual knowledge’
Another option is that you’re a total dickhead, which is essentially one and the same
In case you do have a mental health problem, my apologies and I withdraw
Whatever your condition, stay off my comments as well
Lol
You’re not operating at a higher frequency, it’s just a mosquito buzzing around where your brain should be.
A serious lapse of judgement by wikileaks dumping millions of private emails and personal information about all women voters in Turkey has potentially put thousands in extreme danger:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zeynep-tufekci/wikileaks-erdogan-emails_b_11158792.html
great of the piece’s author to draw such huge publicity to the existence and location of these databases, as well as carefully describing their contents, for the sake of her own career. She even says that other news outlets did not really examine the leaked info in the detail she did, and missed presenting these facts.
Now she’s let all the non IT savvy stalkers in the world know.
Highly educated and highly stupid all at the same time.
Coup Crumbling
First of the 60 UK Labour frontbenchers who resigned en masse … asks to return.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, is to rejoin the shadow cabinet less than a month after her dramatic resignation. On 28 June, in the aftermath of Brexit, she tweeted: “I have just stepped down from my shadow minister job, but not my responsibilities to my constituents, party or victims of abuse.”
Champion now formally retracts her resignation and asks Corbyn to be reinstated as Shadow Home Office Minister. Welcomed back with open arms. Expected to be first of many returnees, now that the writing’s on the wall.
As Left-Wing Activist / Corbyn-supporter, Aaaron Bastani tweeted:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sarah-champion-unresigns-labour-shadow-8490897#ICID=sharebar_twitter
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2016/jul/25/mcdonnell-accused-of-downplaying-seriousness-of-malhotra-office-row-politics-live
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2016/07/sarah-champion-wants-un-resign-and-join-jeremy-corbyns-shadow-cabinet
Trump post-Convention Poll Bounce
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/25/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-poll/index.html
Most Recent 2016 Presidential Polls
Polls released Monday July 25
CNN/ORC Trump 48, Clinton 45 ……………………………………………… Trump +3
CBS News Trump 44, Clinton 43 ……………………………………………… Trump +1
Economist/YouGov Trump 42, Clinton 47 ………………………………. Clinton +5
LA Times/USC Trump 45, Clinton 41 ……………………………………….. Trump +4
CNN/ORC Clinton 39, Trump 44, Johnson 9, Stein 3 ………………… Trump +5
Economist/YouGov Clinton 40, Trump 38, Johnson 5, Stein 3 …. Clinton +2
CBS News Clinton 39, Trump 40, Johnson 12 …………………………… Trump +1
The DNC Convention has not started smoothly with lots of anti-Clinton booing by pro-Sanders delegates.
We also know that the convention is receiving a tonne of live media coverage.
We also know that the general public is way more keen on Sanders than Clinton.
Maybe the Democrats are going to find it hard to get a good bounce from their 4 day convention.
Sanders has tweeted, asking the maddies to tone it down.
He’s not in charge of these people any more and I predict the volume is going to go up not down.
Video of departing Democratic Party chair person Debbie Wasserman Schultz being booed down at a breakfast meeting of Florida’s Democratic convention voting delegates.
Wasserman Schultz had to be escorted out of her own party’s breakfast event by security.
https://twitter.com/NDN_BrentBatten/status/757568128419237889
Good to see you using moderate and inclusive language, to try and not starting a flame war there te reo putake.
I am not sure how reliable this is, but the claim is that Sanders will be “placed in nomination” at the DNC. I take it that such a move would be intended to show the strength of Bernie’s support base, thus weakening Hillary’s ability to get away with making only minor policy concessions. http://usuncut.com/politics/bernie-speech-hot-mic-nomination/
CV @ 8.1
“I’m hoping the Democrats are going to find it hard to get a good bounce from their 4 day convention.”
Fify. 🙄
Hi Anne. There’s no way that I can be clearer than I have been that I think Trump would be a far better POTUS for NZ than Hillary Clinton.
Less likely to go to guns against China and Russia in the Pacific. Will put the TPP into the shredder by lunch time. Won’t ask NZ troops to take part in “coalition” wars of regime change.
And on all of those points you’re delusional.
Just released Economist/YouGov Poll
Suggests just over half of Sanders supporters who voted in the Democratic Primaries will support Clinton come Election Day. Just 5% say they will back Trump, but almost 40% are intending to back one of the minor candidates – Stein slightly ahead of Johnson.
Poll probably conducted immediately prior to Debbie Wasserman Schultz revelations, though. May cut into that Clinton support.
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem Primaries
Favourability towards Clinton
Unfavourable … 58%
Favourable ……. 42%
(They’re overwhelmingly unfavourable to Trump and are more favourable to the Greens’ Jill Stein than other partisans. Will their antagonism towards Trump ultimately triumph over their anger at Clinton and see them holding their collective noses to tick Hillary ? Or have the latest revelations changed everything ?)
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem primaries
Feelings about Clinton as Dem Candidate
Enthusiastic ………………………………………… 8%
Satisfied but not Enthusiastic ……………… 29%
Dissatisfied but not Upset …………………… 34%
Upset ………………………………………………….. 29%
Not sure if you were the one put up a link to this…but I read that Bernie’s supporters may vote Clinton…but they are now for the most part passive voters.
They aren’t going to campaign for Clinton, they aren’t going to push their friends and family to turn out on the day for Clinton, they might not even make it to a polling booth on the day if they get busy.
The liberal media piece then spends several hundred words reassuring lefties why this isn’t really a big problem for Clinton and why 6 polls are just rogues.
A fascinating read in intellectual self-deception.
http://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270288/donald-trump-polls-beat-clinton
Did anybody hear Merepeka Raukawa-Tait on TVNZ’s Breakfast 7.15 this morning. My God did she sock it to the Government about the moribund CYFS Department and the ineffective treatment of our young children. She basically said that if the Department cannot deliver and do their job it should be disbanded and allow others who can have “access to the front doors” of these vulnerable children, to do the job. It was in answer to the Government’s idea to have the police pay informants who witness abuse. The lady said it was a shocking indictment that they have to go as low as pay informants when they should be tackling the root of the problem – which of course we all know.
What a hopeless Government we have. This lady was eloquent, to the point and didn’t waffle, and is wasted wherever she is and should be elevated to a role where she can really deliver on what she wants to see happen to these children. She is what our pollies should be, passionate and bloody determined that our littlies and older children should not have to put up with the shit that is happening in their lives. God bless her and I hope she is cherry picked for Government – not that I think such a great lady would want to soil her life by association with Government and the people in it. All power to her.
I wonder if the polls are just as fixed as the rest of the political crims….
Why Putin might be trying to mess with Clinton (besides being buddy-buddy with Trump)…
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/clinton-putin-226153
How the war party establishment labels everyone that they do not like “Putin’s useful idiot”
From Snowden to Trump to Tsipras to Jeremy Corbyn
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-24/presenting-putins-useful-idiot-anyone-who-disagrees-establishment
Let me remind people that Putin’s popularity in Russia is 80% to 85%.
This compares to Hillary Clinton’s own 35% to 40% favourability rating in the US.
And 55% unfavourable rating.
Andre, move past it
It’s not the reds under the bed
The NSA are the world hackers!
Putin is hardly a red under the bed, he’s one of the finest examples of the 0.001% using whatever means available to screw over everybody else for his own benefit. A perfect fit with Trump.
Which makes either of them worse than Hillary, bankers [name the establishment], how?
Andre, your comments don’t make sense and you seem to not identify bullshit when it’s in front of you
Did you say you were American, or were raised there?
Let’s assume for a minute your US conspiracy theory is true, what if like dropping an attomic Bombs was an excuse to put an end to the war & that say if Russia did the hack then the ends justified the means – a bloodless move to avoid WWIII?, Hillary is not the Victim, she used her unsecured personal email server for her corrupt private deeds & for sharing classified information on a vunrable server, a 12yr old could have used A malware bomb that then sends a copy in her name to bypass DNC & Govt emailservers (bypassing security in place), sure she’s a digital native who compromised National Security but is innocent & snowden leaked classified info yet is the traitor? – did I get that right?
Thought this was good, and timely. Also funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=419MIT7xNhs
Yes – and our Labour Party hasn’t been left since 1984.Thanks Adam, I love that guy.
From zerohedge.
“Hillary Clinton is implicitly running on only two themes…..
1) Trump is scary. I am not Trump.
2)Things aren’t really bad. I’ll continue along the path we’ve been on.”
If this is true then she will lose the election because a large majority think the country is headed in the wrong direction. She should have chosen Bernie !
NatWest paves way for introduction of negative interest rates
Does that mean savers can then claim taxes off the government for the negative interest?
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/25/natwest-paves-way-for-introduction-of-negative-interest-rates?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=183253&subid=13842748&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
China seeks to eradicate ‘vile effect’ of independent journalism
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/26/china-seeks-to-eradicate-vile-effect-of-independent-journalism